Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

World y lbifdomeandpolicie is to becontemned. 85 counterfeit, &c. And hence it is that the Apoflle 'Paul per - fwadeth thofe who are carnally wife to become fooles, that fo they might attainevnto true wifedome. Let no man (faith r.Cor.3 .t8. he) deceits:. himf lfe. If any man among you[ceme to belbifein7lelinguamus this world,let him beafoole that he may belbtfe. And the for- "oxamlapien- tiam, dt /camtt mer author exhorteth vs to forfabe thishurtfullwifedome,aud landabilemCa- to learne this laudable follie, becaufe it is written, that God tuitatem.Gre- bath chufen the foolifh things of the world to confound the gor.Moral.lib. wife. 37.cap.zy. Secondly,this carnal & worldly wifdom Both not certain- r.Cor.7.z7. 1 affure vs of thevainethings ofthis life forthe cb afling 4.Sec.rs. Y p a 4Yurldly ví ¡- whereofit imploieth all his flrength : for feeing it oppofeth deme dothy nor it Celle againfi God,and trufleth and depend ech wholly vp- certainly afore on it owneabilities,thinking to thriue in euill deugnes by menofthet vain the vfe of wicked meanes; therefore the wifedome ofGod t °`ngs of this oppofeth againfl it,bringing it to nothing, and making all thefe deepe policies and cunning deuices vaine and fruflrate; as appeareth both by teflimonies ofScripture and examples. lJauid faith that the worldlings deceit is vaine, and not- Pfal.rt9.t t8. withflanding their policies God treadeth themdown when they depart from his flatuces. And the Apoflle tellechvs, that god wil ldeßroythe wifedomeofthe wife andlbill cal away i.Cor.t.r9. the vnderflanding of the prudent,that the wifedom of the world, Efa. z9. 4. and the Princes of the world, commeth to nought : and that their wifedome isfoolifbnes,becau fe he catcheth the wife in their t Cor.z.6. cane eraftineffo. And howfoeuer their policies may feeme Chap.3.r9. deepe in themfelues, and their counfels vnrefiflable by hu- mane power; yet feeing they plot them againfl Godhim- felfe they cannot /land : for, as the Wife man teácheth vs, there is nowifedome,neither vnderfianding nor counfell aQainff ['rou.zt.3o; the Lord.Examples hereof we haue in the builders ofßabel, whofe policies and power the Lord foone a efeated,by con- founding their languages: InPharaoh,who whé he thought Exod.r.1 o. to doe moll wifely,was fruflrate of his end,and in defpite of all his policy Gods people were deli uered,and he deflroied. In Achitophel, whole fubtill counfell tooke no effeéï, be- z.Sam.t7.r4; caufe, as the text faith, God was purpofed to defiroy it. In Jlarnan,whowith his cunning policies broughthimfelfe to G3 the